Extensible mail-box support.



A. J. WILFONG. EXTBNSIBLE MAIL BOX SUPPORT.

APPLIOATION rum) NOV. 15, 1909.

970,588. Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW J. WILFONG, 0F KNOXVILLE, IOWA.

EXTENSIBLE MAIL-BOX SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. WVILFONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Marion and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Extensible Mail-Box Support, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a mail box support of simple, durable and inexpensive construction especially designed for use in connection with rural mail routes in which the mail is usually collected and delivered by an operator in a vehicle.

My object is more particularly to provide an extensible mail box support so arranged that the mail carrier may drive up in a vehicle to a point adjacent to the mail box, and then by pulling upon a rope may extend the mail box through the side of the vehicle so that he may remove the contents thereof or place the mail matter therein without getting out of the vehicle, so that during wet or extremely cold weather he may perform his duties withoutgetting out of the vehicle.

My object is further to provide a de ice of this kind that will automatically return to its normal position after it has been pushed a short distance toward its normal position.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are at tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanyig drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a device embodying my invention with the mail box in its normal position. The dotted lines in said figure show the mail box in its extended position. Fig. 2 shows a rear end elevation of same, and Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to inclicate a mail box of ordinary construction.

The numeral 11 indicates a standard or support in an upright position having at its upper end an arm 12 to extend outwardly over a roadway. In this arm is a loop 13 for purposes hereinafter made clear.

Pivoted to the lower end of the standard or support 11 by means of the pin 15 is a movable support 1 1. At the upper end. of the pivoted support 14 is an arm 16 at right and connected thereangles to the support with by a hinged joint 17 capable of swing Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 15, 1909.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910. Serial No. 528,124.

ing laterally in both directions. This arm 16 has the mail box 10 fixed to its outer end. In order to normally hold the arm 16 in position substantially parallel with the arm 12, I have provided a cross piece 18 on the support 11, and two contractible springs 19 and 20 are fixed to the opposite ends of said cross piece 1.8 and to the arm 16, said springs being arranged to oppose each other so that when the arm 16 is swung laterally in either direction itwill return to its normal position.

Fixed to the upper end of the support 11 is a loop 21 having attached to it a short chain 22 and a weight 23. This loop also has connected with it a rope 24: which rope extends through the loop 13 and hangs down over the roadway.

The numeral 25 indicates a hunting stop fixed to the standard 11. to limit the forward movement of the support 14;.

In practical use, and assuming that the parts are in position shown by solid lines in Fig. l, the operator in a vehicle may move the vehicle to position adjacent to the rope 2st, and then by pulling down upon said rope the standard 141- with the mail box thereon will be extended outwardly to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the mail box may enter through the side door of the vehicle. Its forward movement is limited by the stop \Vhen in this position the mail box will be supported therein because the support 14 is extended forwardly past a vertical line. In the event that the vehicle into which the mail box is projected should be moved over forwardly or rearwardly, the arm 16 will swing on its hinge to thereby avoid breaking the support. \Vhen the transfer of mail has been completed the operator merely pushes the mail box away from him a short distance, so that the standard Lt will pass a vertical line, and then the weight 23 will swing outwardly away from the standard to the position shown by solid lines in Fig. 1, thus withdrawing the standard 14; to its rearward limit of movement, and the mail box will strike against the standard 11 where it will be firmly retained by said weight until the rope 2 1 is pulled.

I claim as my invention- 1. A device of the class described, comprising an upright stationary standard or support, an arm pivoted at its lower end to the said standard or support and extended upwardly, a second arm at the upper end of the first arm extended in position substantially at right angles to the first, a mail box fixed in position at the outer end of the second arm, and means for tilting the first arm from position with the mail box adjacent to the support or standard to position with the mail box extended outwardly from the support or standard.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a support or standard, an arm pivoted to the lower end of the support or standard and extended upwardly, a flexible chain connected to the upper end of said arm, a weight attached to said chain, a second arm pivoted to the first arm and eX- tended substantially at right angles from it to swing in a horizontal plane, opposed ANDREW J. VVILFONG.

Witnesses:

T. V. HART, WALTER Kns'rnn. 

